SHARPTOWN, MD - Salisbury University invited anglers of all ages and experience levels to help combat invasive fish species in local waterways during the fourth annual Nanticoke River Invasive Fishing Derby on Saturday.
The annual derby, organized by SU biological studies assistant professor Dr. Noah Bressman, encourages the removal of blue catfish and northern snakeheads. The two species are invasive and pose a threat to fish and crustacean populations, including striped bass and blue crabs.
This year's event was at Cherry Beach Park in Sharptown, and was followed by awards, educational activities, and invasive species research. A portion of Saturday's catch will be donated to Bressman’s lab for ongoing studies.
"We can get data and tissue samples and whatever we need from them at this event in front of everybody to kind of show that science is accessible," says Bressman. "This event helps support the research in my lab as well as the research for our collaborators like USGS and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources."
A crew from the US Geological Survey was at the fishing derby. They are also using some of the fish caught on Saturday for research, including conducting fish health assessments. "We look at internals and externals to determine how healthy these fish are," says Heather Walsh, a research fish biologist with USGS. "We're also doing contaminant analysis. So we're testing the plasma for PFAS, which is a forever chemical in the waters, and we're also testing the muscle for heavy metals."
Walsh tells WBOC that a lot of the fish that were caught will also go to local food banks and local churches in Wicomico County.
The invasive fishing derby had over $1,000 in prizes, including gear from local companies. The event was free and funded by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources.